Belt feeder for automatic firearms

ABSTRACT

A belt feeder arrangement for automatic firearms with special spring and cam arrangements to prevent the jamming of the belt member in the ejector slot during changes in ammunition belts. Two spring biased pivotal lever members are mounted adjacent one another to engage the belt member and hold it up out of the ejector slot as it passes thereby. One lever is longer than the other so the levers engage the belt member in series. Alternative embodiments include leaf spring members in place of the pivotal lever members. Also, spacer members can be arranged at the mounting of the levers for adjusting to different size ammunition and belt members.

United States Patent [1 1 [111 3,785,242

Hartmann Jan. 15, 1974 [54] BELT FEEDER FOR AUTOMATIC PrimaryExaminer-Stephen C. Bentley FIREARMS Inventor: Rolf Hartmann,Dusseldorf,

Germany Assignee: Rheinmetall GmbH, Dusseldorf,

Germany Filed: Mar. 17, 1972 Appl. No.: 235,542

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Simpson 89/33 CA GermanyP21133197 Attorney-Paul M. Craig, Jr. et al.

[57] ABSTRACT A belt feeder arrangement for automatic firearms withspecial spring and cam arrangements to prevent the jamming of the beltmember in the ejector slot during changes in ammunition belts. Twospring biased pivotal lever members are mounted adjacent one another toengage the belt member and hold it up out of the ejector slot as itpasses thereby. One lever is longer than the other so the levers engagethe belt member in series. Alternative embodiments include leaf springmembersin place of the pivotal lever members. Also, spacer members canbe arranged at the mounting of the levers for adjusting to differentsize ammunition and belt members.

" "arching; s bra w in Figure;

PATENTED JAN 1 5 I974 I SHEET 3 [IF 4 BELT FEEDER FOR AUTOMATIC FIREARMSBACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention generally relatesto a belt feeder for automatic firearms with a star type feed wheel orrotor feeder for a disintegrating belt; where the belt members comprisea double clamp, housing respectively one cartridge, and a single clampjoined to the double clamp and loosely encompassing the subsequentcartridge, and where the cartridges are introduced into the chamber ofthe firearm by a breech section engaging into an ejector slot to removethe cartridges from the belt.

One of the essential requirements to be met by such belt feeders residesin that a troublefree and rapid change of ammunition is made possible,by withdrawing the belt present in the belt feeder after disengaging thestar feed wheel and replacing same by another belt with a different typeof ammunition.

In such an ammunition changing procedure, disturbances can occur duringthe withdrawal and/or introduction of a belt with a forwardly positionedempty clamp of a belt member, i.e., a clamp which does not contain acartridge, due to the fact that the ends of the clamp may catch at theedges of the ejector slot.

This invention contemplates the provisions of means to avoid thisdisadvantage by improving a belt feeder of the aforedescribed type insuch a manner that, during the introduction and/or removal of a belt, acatching of an empty belt member clamp is prevented.

The solution of this problem in accordance with the present inventioncontemplates the provision of resiliently mounted levers positioned inthe belt feed path in front of the ejector slot for the cartridges,which levers engage into the zone of the belt members; during theintroduction or removal of a belt. It is further contemplated by thisinvention that these levers are actuatable by the cartridge disposedforemost in the belt via cams disposed on the backs or ridges of thelevers in such a manner that lugs arranged at the ends of the leverssupport an empty front belt member and lift same over the ejector slot.

It is further contemplated by the present invention to use only one suchlever in conjunction with relatively narrow ejector slots. However, in afurther embodiment of this invention two levers may advantageously beprovided which are mounted independently of each other on a common axleoutside of the feed path of the belt. With the two lever system, thearrangement is even more troublefree, especially for relatively wideejector slots.

In a preferred embodiment of the two lever system, the levers suitablyexhibit differing lengths as well as different cams. In this manner,thelevers become effective one after the other, so that an empty beltclamp may be lifted across even comparatively wide ejector slots. Inthis connection, the shorter lever is advantageously disposed in arecess of the longer lever. The levers can thereby be arranged in aparticularly compact manner. In accordance with a further embodiment ofthe invention, the levers can also each consist of a leaf spring. Theseleaf springs are then bent in such a way that they form a correspondingcam.

A further advantageous embodiment of this invention contemplates anarrangement where the common axle of the levers is dimensioned to belonger than the width of the belt members, and that the mutual spacingof the levers is made variable by mounting spacers on the axle. In thismanner, it is possible depending on the arrangement of the levers andspaces to employ selectively cartridge belts with a right-handed orlefthanded belting. That is, belts wherein, in the first case, thedouble clamp of a belt member is disposed in the front, and in the othercase the single clamp is arranged at that point.

The invention will be explained below with reference to severalembodiments illustrated in the drawing, to wit:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGS. 1 and 2 are fragmentarycross-sectional views of a belt feeder, namely:

FIG. 1 showing the introduction of a belt, and

FIG. 2 showing the removal of the belt; (view IIII of FIG. 3)

FIG. 3 is a partial view along line III--III of FIG. 2;

FIGS. 4 and 5 show two adjustment positions in a similar view as shownin FIG. 3 for a different embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing two members of a belt with acartridge;

FIG. 7 shows a belt member; and

FIG. 8 is a partial view showing another embodiment of the inventionwhich utilizes leaf springs in place of pivotal levers.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Numeral 1 denotes the housing ofthe belt feeder. A star feed wheel 2 is mounted in the housing I and isrotatably driven stepwise for feeding the cartridges 4 carried by thebelt members 3. Since specific arrangements for driving a star feedwheel are generally known, a detailed description of such structure isdispensed with to aid in clarifying the disclosure of the presentinvention. The belt members, together with the cartridges, form adisintegrating belt and exhibit respectively one double clamp 3aencompassing in each case one cartridge, and a single clamp 3b joinedtherewith and loosely extending around the subsequent cartridge. Thebelt members are hingedly connected with one another by the cartridgesinserted in the clamps. After the withdrawal of respectively onecartridge, effected by a breech section 20 engaging into the ejectorslot 5, the empty belt members are ejected through an ejector aperture6.

FIG. 1 shows a belt to be introduced into the belt feeder with aforwardly disposed empty double clamp 3a. Since the single clamp of the[belt member is disposed loosely on the cartridge, the double clamp,during the further insertion of the belt, could fall with its clampends, into the ejector slot 5 and about the edge 7 of the slot. Then,during the withdrawal of the belt, the double clamp 3a would catch atthe edge 8. This catching of the clamp member 3a is prevented by twolevers 9 and 10 of different lengths, exhibiting cams 11 and 12 on theirbacks. The levers are pivotably mounted on a common axle 13 against theforce of a spring 14 outside of the belt feed path with the shorterlever being disposed in a recess 23 of the longer lever (FIG. 3). Thespring force can be adjusted by means of a screw 15. Upon theintroduction of the belt by rotating the star feed wheel 2, thecartridge which is foremost in the belt slides along the cams 11 and 12on the backs of levers 9 and 10, which are pressed downwardly duringthis procedure. Lugs or projections 16 and 17 arranged at the front endsof the levers successively exert a supporting effect on the empty frontdouble clamp 3a, in that the central loop 18 of the belt member (FIGS. 6and 7) is first supported by the lug 16 of the shorter lever and liftedover the edge 8 of the ejector slot 5. Upon the further rotation of thestar feed wheel, the loop 18 slides over the lug 17 of the longer lever,whereby the empty double clamp is lifted over the edge 7 of the ejectorslot and pushed into the ejector duct 19. Then, the cartridge 4 passesdirectly across the ejector slot and can be inserted in a conventionalmanner in the firearm by means of a breech section 20 moving at rightangles to the plane of the drawing through the ejector slot.

During the introduction of the belt member into the ejector duct 19, theloop 18 glides along a guide strip 21 extending from the ejector slot tothe ejector opening 6. The belt member cannot tilt backwardly into theejector slot, since the back of the front clamp is guided along theupper wall 22 of the ejector duct 19. When the belt is pulled out, thelast belt member remains in the ejector duct 19 and is ejected, duringthe introduction of a new belt, through the ejector opening 6 by theforemost belt member of the new belt.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show a modified embodiment of the invention wherein thelevers, with the use of spacers 24 which can be attached to the commonaxle 13a, can either be disposed side-by-side, with the spacers 24 beingarranged on the outside (Fl. 4), or at a mutual spacing, with thespacers being arranged therebetween (FIG. 5). the levers 9a and a arefashioned on their backs in the same manner as the levers 9 and I0,i.e., they exhibit the same cams l1 and 12 passing over into the lugs 16and 17 at the front ends of the levers.

The levers in the arrangement of FIG. 4 operate in the same manner asdescribed above; in other words, this construction is also intended forthe feeding of a belt with a preceding empty double clamp 3a.

The lever arrangement according to FIG. 5 is used for the introductionof a belt with a preceding empty single clamp 3b. Here, the levers areactuated in the same manner by the cartridge positioned foremost in thebelt, wherein the lugs 16 and 17 support the two loops 25 of the doubleclamp and lift the single clamp over the edges 8 and 7 of the ejectorslot.

In place of the levers 9 and 10, as well as 9a and 100, respectively, itis also possible to provide correspondingly shaped leaf springs 26 and27. The springs 14 with their setscrews can then be omitted.

While I have shown and described only several embodiments in accordancewith the present invention, it is understood that the same is notlimited thereto but is susceptible of numerous changes and modificationsas known to those skilled in the art, and I therefore do not wish to belimited to the details shown and described herein but intend to coverall such changes and modifications as are encompassed by the scope ofthe appended claims.

I claim:

1. A belt feeder arrangement for automatic firearms of the type whichuse an ammunition cartridge belt formed by a plurality of belt membersinterconnected to one another which carry the cartridges intocommunication with a breech section engaging in an ejector slot forseparating the cartridges from the belt and in troducing the cartridgeinto the chamber of the firearm, and wherein the belt members are of thetype comprising a first clamp portion accommodating one cartridge and asecond clamp portion joined to the first clamp portion and looselyencompassing the subsequent cartridge; said arrangement comprising: feedmeans for feeding the belt along a belt feed path through the firearmstructure, said belt feed path running adjacent an ejector slot at whichposition the cartridges are removed from the belt and then out a beltejector duct where the empty belt members are removed from the firearm,and belt member supporting means arranged in the belt feed path ahead ofthe ejector slot for supporting an empty belt member such that the emptyfirst clamp portion of said empty belt member will not engage edges ofsaid ejector slot when the clamp portion is passing adjacent said edgestoward the ejector duct, said belt member supporting means being spacedfrom said feed means and including means movable with respect to saidfeed means.

2. A belt feeder arrangement for automatic firearms of the type whichuse an ammunition cartridge belt formed by a plurality of belt membersinterconnected to one another which carry the cartridges intocommunication with a breech section engaging in an ejector slot forseparating the cartridges from the belt and introducing the cartridgeinto the chamber of the firearm, and wherein the belt members are of thetype comprising a first clamp portion accommodating one cartridge and asecond clamp portion joined to the first clamp portion and looselyencompassing the subsequent cartridge; said arrangement comprising: feedmeans for feeding the belt along a belt feed path through the firearmstructure, said belt feed path running adjacent an ejector slot at whichposition the cartridges are removed from the belt and then out a beltejector duct where the empty belt members are removed from the firearm,and belt member supporting means arranged in the belt feed path ahead ofthe ejector slot for supporting an empty belt member such that the emptyfirst clamp portion of said empty belt member will not engage edges ofsaid ejector slot when the clamp portion is passing adjacent said edgestoward the ejector duct, wherein said belt member supporting meansincludes resilient means.

3. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said belt membersupporting means includes means engagable with a cartridge in a clampportion immediately preceeding the ejector slot for preventing engagingof the belt member with edges of said ejector slot when the clampportion immediately preceeding the ejector slot contains a cartridge.

4. A belt feeder arrangement for automatic firearms of the type whichuse an ammunition cartridge belt formed by a plurality of belt membersinterconnected to one another which carry the cartridges intocommunication with a breech section engaging in an ejector slot forseparating the cartridges from the belt and introducing the cartridgeinto the chamber of the firearm, and wherein the belt members are of thetype comprising a first clamp portion accommodating one cartridge and asecond clamp portion joined to the first clamp portion and looselyencompassing the subsequent cartridge; said arrangement comprising: feedmeans for feeding the belt along a belt feed path through the firearmstructure, said belt feed path running adjacent an ejector slot at whichposition the cartridges are removed from the belt and then out a beltejector duct where the empty belt members are removed from the firearm,and belt member supporting means arranged in the belt feed path ahead ofthe ejector slot for supporting an empty belt member such that the emptyfirst clamp portion of said empty belt member will not engage edges ofsaid ejector slot when the clamp portion is passing adjacent said edgestoward the ejector duct, wherein said belt member supporting meanscomprises: resiliently mounted lever means ar ranged in the belt feedpath in front of the ejector slot, lug means on said lever means forengaging with portions of an empty front belt member approaching theejector slot, and cam means on said lever means for engaging with acartridge disposed in the belt member immediately preceding the firstempty portion of said front belt member in such a manner that the lugmeans supports said first empty portion of the front belt member out ofengagement with the edges of the ejector slot, whereby the cartridgebelts can be changed without jamming the forward most empty portion ofthe front belt member against the ejector slot edges.

5. An arrangement according to claim 4, wherein said lever meansincludes two separate levers, each lever having a lug portion formingpart of the lug means.

6. An arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the respective lug meansare positioned so as to successively engage the front belt member,whereby the front belt member can be supported for movement by arelatively wide ejector slot.

7. An arrangement according to claim 6, wherein the levers are mountedindependently of each other on a common axle arranged outside of thebelt feed path, and wherein said lug portions are positioned adjacentthe end of the levers opposite the common axle mountmg.

8. An arrangement according to claim 6, wherein the cam means includeseparate cam surfaces on each of the levers, said cam surfaces beingformed differently for giving different pivotal motion to the respectivelevers.

9. An arrangement according to claim 7, wherein the cam means includeseparate cam surfaces on each of the levers, said cam surfaces beingformed differently for giving different pivotal motion to the respectivelevers.

10. An arrangement according to claim 8, wherein said levers exhibitdifferent length from one another.

11. An arrangement according to claim 10, wherein the shorter lever isdisposed in a recess of the longer lever.

12. An arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the lever meanscomprise leaf springs fixed at one end with respect to the belt feedpath.

13. An arrangement according to claim 6, wherein the lever meanscomprise leaf springs fixed at one end with respect to the belt feedpath.

14. An arrangement according to claim 10, wherein the lever meanscomprise leaf springs fixed at one end with respect to the belt feedpath.

15. An arrangement according to claim 7, wherein the common axle isdimensioned to be longer than the width of the belt members, and whereinspacers are provided for selectively varying the position of said leverson the axle.

16. An arrangement according to claim 4, wherein said belt members areof the type with the first clamp portion formed as a double clamp withtwo spaced curved clamp members for engaging the cartridge and with thesecond clamp portion formed as a single clamp with one curved clampmember for loosely encompassing the adjacent cartridge, and wherein thelug means are arranged to contact a curved connecting part between saidfirst and second change portions.

17. An arrangement according to claim 15, wherein said belt members areof the type with the first clamp portion formed as a double clamp withtwo spaced curved clamp members for engaging the cartridge and with thesecond clamp portion formed as a single clamp with one curved clampmember for loosely encompassing the adjacent cartridge, and wherein thelug means are arranged to contact a curved connection part between saidfirst and second change portions whereby the spacers can be adjusted toaccommodate move ment of the cartridge belt with the: first clampportion in the most forward position as well as movement of thecartridge belt with the second clamp portion in the most forwardposition.

18. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said feed means includea star feed. wheel for engaging the surface of said cartridges when thecartridges are in the vicinity of the ejector slot.

19. An arrangement according to claim 17, wherein said feed meansinclude a star feed. wheel for engaging the surface of said cartridgeswhen the cartridges are in the vicinity of the ejector slot.

20. An arrangement according to claim 2, wherein said belt membersupporting means includes a resiliently biased lever means engagablewith said empty belt member.

21. An arrangement according to claim 2, wherein said belt membersupporting means includes two resiliently biased lever means engagablewith said empty belt member.

22. An arrangement according to claim 21, wherein the respective levermeans are positioned so as to successively engage said empty belt memberwhereby the empty belt member can be supported for movement by arelatively wide ejector slot.

23. An arrangement according to claim 22, wherein said lever means aremounted on a common pivot axle.

1. A belt feeder arrangement for automatic firearms of the type which use an ammunition cartridge belt formed by a plurality of belt members interconnected to one another which carry the cartridges into communication with a breech section engaging in an ejector slot for separating the cartridges from the belt and introducing the cartridge into the chamber of the firearm, and wherein the belt members are of the type comprising a first clamp portion accommodating one cartridge and a second clamp portion joined to the first clamp portion and loosely encompassing the subsequent cartridge; said arrangement comprising: feed means for feeding the belt along a belt feed path through the firearm structure, said belt feed path running adjacent an ejector slot at which position the cartridges are removed from the belt and then out a belt ejector duct where the empty belt members are removed from the firearm, and belt member supporting means arranged in the belt feed path ahead of the ejector slot for supporting an empty belt member such that the empty first clamp portion of said empty belt member will not engage edges of said ejector slot when the clamp portion is passing adjacent said edges toWard the ejector duct, said belt member supporting means being spaced from said feed means and including means movable with respect to said feed means.
 2. A belt feeder arrangement for automatic firearms of the type which use an ammunition cartridge belt formed by a plurality of belt members interconnected to one another which carry the cartridges into communication with a breech section engaging in an ejector slot for separating the cartridges from the belt and introducing the cartridge into the chamber of the firearm, and wherein the belt members are of the type comprising a first clamp portion accommodating one cartridge and a second clamp portion joined to the first clamp portion and loosely encompassing the subsequent cartridge; said arrangement comprising: feed means for feeding the belt along a belt feed path through the firearm structure, said belt feed path running adjacent an ejector slot at which position the cartridges are removed from the belt and then out a belt ejector duct where the empty belt members are removed from the firearm, and belt member supporting means arranged in the belt feed path ahead of the ejector slot for supporting an empty belt member such that the empty first clamp portion of said empty belt member will not engage edges of said ejector slot when the clamp portion is passing adjacent said edges toward the ejector duct, wherein said belt member supporting means includes resilient means.
 3. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said belt member supporting means includes means engagable with a cartridge in a clamp portion immediately preceeding the ejector slot for preventing engaging of the belt member with edges of said ejector slot when the clamp portion immediately preceeding the ejector slot contains a cartridge.
 4. A belt feeder arrangement for automatic firearms of the type which use an ammunition cartridge belt formed by a plurality of belt members interconnected to one another which carry the cartridges into communication with a breech section engaging in an ejector slot for separating the cartridges from the belt and introducing the cartridge into the chamber of the firearm, and wherein the belt members are of the type comprising a first clamp portion accommodating one cartridge and a second clamp portion joined to the first clamp portion and loosely encompassing the subsequent cartridge; said arrangement comprising: feed means for feeding the belt along a belt feed path through the firearm structure, said belt feed path running adjacent an ejector slot at which position the cartridges are removed from the belt and then out a belt ejector duct where the empty belt members are removed from the firearm, and belt member supporting means arranged in the belt feed path ahead of the ejector slot for supporting an empty belt member such that the empty first clamp portion of said empty belt member will not engage edges of said ejector slot when the clamp portion is passing adjacent said edges toward the ejector duct, wherein said belt member supporting means comprises: resiliently mounted lever means arranged in the belt feed path in front of the jeector slot, lug means on said lever means for engaging with portions of an empty front belt member approaching the ejector slot, and cam means on said lever means for engaging with a cartridge disposed in the belt member immediately preceding the first empty portion of said front belt member in such a manner that the lug means supports said first empty portion of the front belt member out of engagement with the edges of the ejector slot, whereby the cartridge belts can be changed without jamming the forward most empty portion of the front belt member against the ejector slot edges.
 5. An arrangement according to claim 4, wherein said lever means includes two separate levers, each lever having a lug portion forming part of the lug means.
 6. An arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the respective lug means are positioned so as to successively engage the front belt member, whereby The front belt member can be supported for movement by a relatively wide ejector slot.
 7. An arrangement according to claim 6, wherein the levers are mounted independently of each other on a common axle arranged outside of the belt feed path, and wherein said lug portions are positioned adjacent the end of the levers opposite the common axle mounting.
 8. An arrangement according to claim 6, wherein the cam means include separate cam surfaces on each of the levers, said cam surfaces being formed differently for giving different pivotal motion to the respective levers.
 9. An arrangement according to claim 7, wherein the cam means include separate cam surfaces on each of the levers, said cam surfaces being formed differently for giving different pivotal motion to the respective levers.
 10. An arrangement according to claim 8, wherein said levers exhibit different length from one another.
 11. An arrangement according to claim 10, wherein the shorter lever is disposed in a recess of the longer lever.
 12. An arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the lever means comprise leaf springs fixed at one end with respect to the belt feed path.
 13. An arrangement according to claim 6, wherein the lever means comprise leaf springs fixed at one end with respect to the belt feed path.
 14. An arrangement according to claim 10, wherein the lever means comprise leaf springs fixed at one end with respect to the belt feed path.
 15. An arrangement according to claim 7, wherein the common axle is dimensioned to be longer than the width of the belt members, and wherein spacers are provided for selectively varying the position of said levers on the axle.
 16. An arrangement according to claim 4, wherein said belt members are of the type with the first clamp portion formed as a double clamp with two spaced curved clamp members for engaging the cartridge and with the second clamp portion formed as a single clamp with one curved clamp member for loosely encompassing the adjacent cartridge, and wherein the lug means are arranged to contact a curved connecting part between said first and second change portions.
 17. An arrangement according to claim 15, wherein said belt members are of the type with the first clamp portion formed as a double clamp with two spaced curved clamp members for engaging the cartridge and with the second clamp portion formed as a single clamp with one curved clamp member for loosely encompassing the adjacent cartridge, and wherein the lug means are arranged to contact a curved connection part between said first and second change portions whereby the spacers can be adjusted to accommodate movement of the cartridge belt with the first clamp portion in the most forward position as well as movement of the cartridge belt with the second clamp portion in the most forward position.
 18. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said feed means include a star feed wheel for engaging the surface of said cartridges when the cartridges are in the vicinity of the ejector slot.
 19. An arrangement according to claim 17, wherein said feed means include a star feed wheel for engaging the surface of said cartridges when the cartridges are in the vicinity of the ejector slot.
 20. An arrangement according to claim 2, wherein said belt member supporting means includes a resiliently biased lever means engagable with said empty belt member.
 21. An arrangement according to claim 2, wherein said belt member supporting means includes two resiliently biased lever means engagable with said empty belt member.
 22. An arrangement according to claim 21, wherein the respective lever means are positioned so as to successively engage said empty belt member whereby the empty belt member can be supported for movement by a relatively wide ejector slot.
 23. An arrangement according to claim 22, wherein said lever means are mounted on a common pivot axle. 